An analyzing apparatus such as a liquid chromatograph is operated with various kinds of management information. Examples of such management information include: the apparatus ID number, status information (e.g. “Run”, “Finished”, “Ready”); period of use of the light source or its degree of degradation (if the apparatus includes an optical detector); and the results of an operation check. Usually, an analyzing apparatus is provided with a controller for collecting such information within the apparatus and for showing the information on a display or the like to the operator. The information thus shown helps the operator to determine, for example, whether the apparatus is capable of conducting a new analysis or whether maintenance work is necessary.
Usually, a company, research institute or the like has plural analyzing apparatuses. In such case, when it is necessary to get information about each apparatus, the operator needs to go to the site of every apparatus, and check the information of every apparatus.
Many analyzing apparatuses are nowadays provided with computers. Usually, a normal personal computer is connected to an analyzing apparatus, and a dedicated program for the analyzing apparatus is installed in the computer. According to the program, the analyzing apparatus sends the results of an analysis, and the computer processes the analysis data and shows the processed data on the display. The management information of the analyzing apparatus is also sent to the computer, which is also shown on the display of the computer. If the operator wants to know the status of every analyzing apparatus, he or she must go to the computer or the analyzing apparatus to see the information on the display.
Thus, in the analysis with plural analyzing apparatuses, when the operator wants to know the state of the operation of each apparatus or to find an apparatus available for a new analysis, it is necessary to go to the site of every analyzing apparatus and check the state of the operation by the information provided by the apparatus or the computer connected to it. When many analyzing apparatuses are distributed far from one another, it is a very troublesome and time-consuming task to check the states of the operation of all the apparatuses one after another.
The problems described above concerning the management information apply also to the case where the operator must check the analysis progress information.
The analysis progress information is first explained. When, for example, plural test specimens are analyzed with a liquid chromatograph, an automatic sampler is used. Several analysis schedules are prepared beforehand where each analysis schedule determines the vial numbers of the automatic sampler and the injecting amount of the specimen of each vial. One of the analysis schedules is selected, and a sequence of plural analyses is performed using the liquid chromatograph. That is, test specimens are sampled from vials one after another with the automatic sampler as specified by the analysis schedule, analyzed by the liquid chromatograph, and the analysis data is collected. Usually, the apparatus has a display for showing the operator the progress of the sequence of analyses along the schedule. An analysis information also refers to a process of a simple analysis.
The recent trend in this case is also to use a personal computer coupled with the analyzing apparatus. Besides controlling the apparatus and processing the analysis data, the personal computer shows the operator the analysis progress information of a sequence of analyses, or the analysis progress information of a single analysis.
For improving the efficiency of analysis, companies and research institutes often use plural analyzing apparatuses and usually keep them in round the clock operation. Under such circumstances, the operator needs to perform various tasks as follows: to check the state of operation of each apparatus; to find an apparatus available for a new analysis; or to check the progress of plural analyses which the operator is in charge of. Conventionally, the operator needs to go to the site of every analyzing apparatus, and to check the state of the operation or the progress of the analysis by viewing the information provided by the apparatus or the computer connected to it. When many analyzing apparatuses are distributed far from one another, it is a very troublesome and time-consuming task to check the states of operation of all the apparatuses one after another.
To address the above problems, the present invention proposes an analyzing apparatus by which the operator can easily get the management information and/or the analysis progress information of plural apparatuses without physically going to each individual one. The present invention also proposes a method of and a system for collecting information about plural analyzing apparatuses.